Crathes Castle Wedding | Indian Scottish Wedding Photography | Eve + Shona

To say I was looking forward to shooting Eve and Shona's wedding was a little bit of an understatement. Having spent the previous day enjoying the pre-wedding celebrations and Mendhi with them, I had already experienced the colours, the warmth of the family and friends from all over the world, the full-on dancing prowess, and let's not forget - the FOOD...mwah! *chefs kiss*

What I really enjoyed, apart from the overall chilled-out atmosphere, was the willingness of all the guests to fully embrace the occasion and join in with the fun, including the henna tattoos (those girls worked hard!) and everyone's wearing of the beautifully colourful traditional Indian dress. Not only that, but the fact that so many of the guests had prepared choregraphed dance routines for the entertainment of all, was truly impressive. Including those under 10 years old, to those over 90 years old! :-D

That atmosphere of inclusion and relaxed enjoyment continued right through to the wedding day. One of Eve and Shona's main wishes was that the wedding was to be a celebration for all the guests, one where they could enjoy the festivities, but also take the opportunity to enjoy the surroundings however they wished. This was to be my first time photographing a wedding at Crathes Castle and I was not disappointed! Tucked away just outside Aberdeen, the restored 16th-century building offers more than just authentic and interesting architecture; it exudes atmosphere and more than a little Scottish charm. Eve and Shona had enjoyed much time at the venue as a couple previously, and loved the idea that they would be able to re-visit the gardens in the future to re-live the memories!

The castle itself, with its turrets and bold stonework (and as I found out from the wedding co-ordinator Dave, more than one ghost!), creates a dramatic and elegant backdrop for wedding portraits. But beyond the rustic grandeur of the building, what made Crathes Castle really special was the beautiful surrounding landscape. The estate boasts beautifully maintained walled gardens, bursting with seasonal colour, character and wildlife, and sweeping green lawns, on which the ceremony itself was to take place.

Eve and all the guests waited with anticipation on site, as Shona and the wedding party danced their way down the lawns to the sound of doll drums and bagpipes. Refreshingly, the famous Scottish weather was....fantastic! The mandap, under which the Hindu ceremony too place was situated in the middle of the gardens right next to the marquee with the castle in the background, and was festooned with all manner of floral colour. Just as beautiful as the location was the ceremony itself, once again including lots of the guests in the service, making for great fun and plenty of laughter and tears.

Then all that remained was the partying! And partying...these guys were good at ;-D

Congratulations guys!

Venue: Crathes Castle

Hair and makeup: Madiha Iqbal + Hair and makeup by Sidra + Marcia Wilkes

Henna Artists: Tasneem + Mariam

Shona's dress: Chhabra 555

Eve's wedding suit: Suzanne

Florist: Kim Dalglish

Marquee: Elegant Pitches

Cake: Hey Sugar Cake

Welcome sign: Rachel E Miller

Welcome music: Dhole and Pipes